Author

Scott Gordon

Scott Gordon co-founded Tone Madison in 2014 has covered culture and politics in Madison since 2006 for publications including The A.V. Club, Dane101, and Isthmus, and has also covered policy, environmental issues, and public health for WisContext.

Profile pic by Rachal Duggan.

Scott's Latest Articles

An illustration by Rodney Lambright II shows the face of the column's author, Dr. Sami Schalk, smiling against a rainbow background. In the foreground are a sandwich, a cup holding a steaming hot beverage, and a stack of books on which the text "Pleasure Practices with Sami Schalk" appears. Two candles sit on top of the books.
From the archives: It’s been a pleasure
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From The Archives
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October 10, 2024

A tribute Dr. Sami Schalk’s exploration of pleasure as activism.

A bronze-gold bar hook is shown underneath the wooden bar at The Malt House, a bar on East Washington. The hook is in focus, in the upper right quadrant of the photograph. The bar's yellow wall and the top of a bar stool in soft focus on the left-most strip of the image.
The hooks under the bar
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Microtones
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October 4, 2024

And why they should be everywhere.

A photo shows a large city bus pulling up to a station in the middle of a wide road. The bus is blue and white, and a grey accordion section in the middle joins its two halves. A figure is visible walking down the concrete platform of the station. Sky, tree, and a local coffee shop are visible in the background.
We set out in search of rapid on Metro Transit
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Politics
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September 30, 2024

Ground-level views from the long-awaited arrival of BRT.

A screenshot of the first page of a letter from attorney Tom Kamenick to the UW-Madison Police Department, on letterhead from the Wisconsin Transparency Project.
Our attorney and UWPD’s argue about body cams
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Microtones
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September 27, 2024

Sort of, as “Tone Magazine” navigates Wisconsin’s new law hindering access to body-camera footage.

An illustration shows two fists emerging from the pages of an open the book. The fists are clad in manacles, and the chain between the manacles is broken. in the background, scrawled childlike drawings and scraps of book pages are visible.
Wisconsin escalates its long tradition of prison book-banning
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Politics
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September 25, 2024

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections' new ban on Wisconsin Books to Prisoners highlights the arbitrary rules governing incarcerated people's access to books.

A photo illustration shows a picture of an open picnic basket. In the foreground, several emojis depicting bundles of cash with wings are arrayed diagonally across the image.
From the archives: Breese Stevens Field to offer $500 “curated picnic basket” “experience”
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From The Archives
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September 12, 2024

As Tone Madison's 10th anniversary approaches, we look back at some highlights from the past decade.

A young man in a grey jumpsuit stands in a somewhat dimly lit spacecraft corridor. He has a perplexed, trepidatious expression.
Still collating: The mixed mutations of the “Alien” franchise
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Film
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September 11, 2024

Scott Gordon and Grant Phipps trade notes on "Alien: Romulus" and take stock of the series' cruel, expanding universe.

A screenshot from the video game “Garage Sale” shows the player character, Juniper, interacting with another character at a small outdoor stand with a “news” sign on top of it. A dialogue field in the foreground reads: “i got a new quest called independANT news! I’ll write it down in my notebook. The scene is rendered in 2D pixel art style, shown from an angled overhead perspective. In the background, houses, lawns, and a walking path are visible.
Meet the neighbors, greet the worms, and make friends in “Garage Sale”
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Culture
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September 9, 2024

Developer Amelia Zollner talks with us about her wholesome but unpredictable video game.

A modified graphic of the "Twitter Fail Whale," created by Yiying Lu. Eight orange birds lift up a white snoozing whale with a net. The background displays labyrinthine interior architecture rendered in shades of black and muddy purple colors.
Tone Madison is reducing its social media presence
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Misc
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August 28, 2024

We want to prioritize better ways to connect with our readers.

A photo shows an expanse of marsh water in Warner Park on a sunny day. Grass and trees are visible in the background and foreground, and a large stand of trees is reflected in the water.
Tone Madison is taking a summer break
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Misc
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August 12, 2024

We'll see you in September!